Arrangement for rendering detachable the intermediate parts of a fitted dental prosthesis or the fixed intermediate parts of a partially removable and irremovable prosthesis of the dolper bar type

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for permitting the ready assembly and detachment of dental prosthesis including an attachment plate fastened to a dental post, a recess in the plate adapted to receive a slab upon which the intermediate portion of the prosthesis is mounted, and a co-operative locking rod for detachably locating and locking the plate and slab together, with all of the components having a coextensive surface which forms a sagittal part.

United States Patent Desmarets {45] July 11, 1972 [54] ARRANGEMENT FOR RENDERING DETACIIABLE THE INI'ERMEDIA'I'E PARTS OF A FITTED DENTAL PROSTI'IESIS OR THE FIXED INTERMEDIATE PARTS OF A PARTIALLY REMOVABLE AND IRREMOVABLE PROSTHESIS OF THE DOLPER BAR TYPE [72] Inventor: Paul Jules Rene Joseph Desmarets, Place Alber 3, 5430 Rochefort, Belgium [22] Filed: March 13, 1970 [2]] Appl. No.: 19,301

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data March 17, I969 Belgium ..7l424 US. Cl

521 .3215 511 Int. Cl

.................... ..A6Ic 13/21 [58] mam ..32/5.@

[56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPUCATIONS 424,085 l 1/1966 Switzerland ..32/5

Primary xaminer--Robert Peshock Attorney-Watexs, Roditi. Schwartz & Nissen ABSTRACT An arrangement for permitting the ready assembly and detachment of dental prosthesis including an attachment plate fastened to a dental post. a rm in the plate adapted to receive a slab upon which the intennediate portion of the prosthesis is mounted, and a co-operative locking rod for detachably locating and locking the plate and slab together. with all of the components having a coextensive surface which formsasagittal part.

'lChlmSDrlwlngHgures ARRANGEMENT FOR RENDERING DETACI-IABLE TI-IE INTERMEDIATE PARTS OF A FI'I'I'ED DENTAL PROSTI-IESIS OR THE FIXED INTERMEDIATE PAR'IS OF A PARTIALLY REMOVABLE AND IRREMOVABLE PROS'I'HESIS OF THE DOLPER BAR TYPE The present invention relates to an arrangement whereby the dentist, and he alone, can render detachable, either the intermediate members of a fitted dental prosthesis of the bridge type, or the fixed intermediate parts of a partially removable and irremovable prosthesis of the Dolder bar type.

Fitted prostheses have a number of disadvantages: for example, they are difficult to clean so that mouth hygiene is not really satisfactory; it is difficult to locate the posts where these are not properly parallel; it is not possible to re-adapt the intermediate members where there have been changes in the underlying bone structure or mucous membranes, and furthermore, it is not possible to form an extension of or make any other alteration to the prosthesis if one of the posts starts to give way, since the intermediate member is fastened to the posts, and thus any alteration necessitates complete re-building of the prosthesis.

As regards partially removable and irremovable" prostheses haw'ng a fitting bar or cross-piece of the Dolder bar type, these also have drawbacks in that more particularly it is not generally possible to modify the relationship between the bar and the posts or mucous membranes and, moreover, serious difficulties are often encountered when taking impressions for re-building purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide means to alleviate or minimize the drawbacks hereinabove referred to whilst preserving the advantages of functional and psychological comfort for the patient, and by which either the intermediate members of a fitted prosthesis such as a bridge, or a bar of the Dolder type, can be readily rendered detachable by the exclusive intervention of the dental practitioner.

To this end, the invention consists in an arrangement for rendering detachable, the intermediate members of a fitted dental prosthesis or the fixed intermediate part or parts of a fixed or detachable prosthesis, said arrangement comprising attachment plates, each of which is adapted to be fastened in a post, and comprising a flat recess having a sagittal part provided with dove-tailed edges, adapted to receive and retain one of the slabs onto which is secured either the intermediate part of a fixed prosthesis or the fixed intermediate part of a partially removable and irremovable prosthesis.

Advantageously, a bolt is provided to retain the salb in place in the flat recess of the plate. This bolt may engage in a plate and in the slab by means of a series of ribs and grooves and be arranged in such a manner so as to be able to be removed frontally or laterally with respect to the plate.

Advantageously, the bolt includes a sagittal key located in a recess having dove-tailed edges transversely crossing the plate and the slab positioned in the flat recess of the plate.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which show certain embodiments thereof by way of example, and in which:

FIG. I shows an "exploded" isometric projection of an arrangement having a bolt, and removable from the from;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of an arrangement having a bolt and removable from the side;

FIG. 3 shows a similar view of an arrangement having a bolt including a transverse key, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views in perspective of arrangements in the engaged position, FIG. 4 corresponding to that shown on FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the arrangement comprises two opposed plates 1 which are fastened parallel to one another in posts (not shown), such as crowns or pivoted teeth or implanted caps. These plates are provided with a fiat recess 2, according to FIGS. 1 and 2, of sagittal shape having dovetailed edges 3 and, according to FIGS. 3 and 4, partly in sagittal shape having dove-tailed edges. The recess is intended to receive and retain a slab 4 having bevelled edges 5. On two opposed slabs are fixed, for example by welding, either a crosspieoe 6 such as a Dolder bar, or the intermediate members of a fitted prosthesis. The assembly comprising the two slabs joined by the intermediate members may be positioned by engaging each slab in the recess of its plate and may be retained therein by means of a frontal bolt 7 (FIG. 1) or a lateral bolt 8 (FIG. 2) capping the plate and having a length corresponding to the size of the plate.

The frontal bolt 7 has transverse ribs 9 which engage in the corresponding grooves 10 of the plate, as well as a frontal plate 11 resting in a rebate 12 extending across the plate and the slab.

The lateral bolt 8 is provided with longitudinal ribs 13 and 14, the first of which is located in a back rebate 15 of the plate and the second in a groove 16 extending across the plate and the slab. This groove is machined in a front rebate 17 of the plate and the slab and the frontal plate 18 of the bolt is lodged in this rebate. The bolt 8 is located by sliding laterally on the plate. This sliding movement may be limited to one direction by means of a back wall 19.

1n the embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the slab 4 is only sagittal on its lower portion 20, the upper portion 2i having an outer rectangular surface. The fiat recess 2 of the plates 1 only comprise dove-tailed edges 3 for the sagittal part of the slab, the edges 22 of the recess, as well as the corresponding edges 23 of the part 21 of the slab, being bevelled in the opposite direction, so as to facilitate locating slabs joined by the intermediate members of the prosthesis in the flat plate recess. This embodiment has the advantage that the two plates need be parallel to each other only in those parts corresponding to the part 20 of the slabs although their parts corresponding to the part 21 of the slabs may be provided in slightly diverging planes.

The attachment of the slabs to the plates is effected by means of a key 24 which engages in a recess 25 having dovetailed edges, which attachment extends across the plates and the slabs. This attachment by a key, which is particularly easy to position and remove, may also replace advantageously the sliding bolts 7 and 8 (FIGS. 1 and 2), in the cases where the slab 4 is sagittal over all its height (FIG. 5

It will be an easy matter for dentists to choose, according to the circumstances, either an attachment as shown in FIGS. I and 2, or one as shown in FIGS. 3-5, or to dispense with the attachment completely. In all cases, the removal and location of the prosthesis will be facilitated, whether it is for complete cleaning or for inspecting the condition of the posts, or even for rectification necessitated by an alteration of the mucous membrane or the condition of the underlying bone structure, or for any alteration to an existing prosthesis, without previously having to break up the prosthesis.

I claim:

I. A device for securing a removable denture or dental prosthesis to a fixed tooth comprising, in combination; a stationary plate member permanently fastened to a fixed tooth, said plate member containing a generally vertically extending channel having dovetail-shaped side walls and being of a narrowed width in at least the bottom end portion thereof, a horizontal recess extending across said plate member in the upper region thereof; a removable member for supporting the removable denture adapted to slide downwardly within the vertically extending channel in said plate member, said removable member having a configuration essentially corresponding to the dimensions of said channel, said removable member further having a horizontal recess in alignment and coextensive with the recess in said plate member upon positioning of said removable member in said channel; and locking means adapted to slide horizontally in said aligned recesses for positioning therein so as efi'ectively arrange said plate member and said removable member into locked engagement; said plate member, removable member, and said locking means, upon assembly thereof, each having at least one surface portion forming a continuous coplanar surface extending along the exterior of the tooth.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recesses in "f literally extending recesses along the side edges; said locking said plate member and said removable member comprise a longitudinally tapered channel having dovetail-shaped side walls; said locking means comprising an elongate tapered wedge having a configuration complementary to the dimensions of said tapered channel.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate member includes horizontally extending recessed surface portions along the upper edge thereof; said locking means comprising an elongate bar having longitudinally extending projections and grooves adapted to respectively engage the recesses in and edges on said plate and removable members upon lateral engagement therewith.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate member includes a horizontally extending recessed frontal surface portion along the upper edge portion thereof, and

means comprising an elongate bar having laterally extending projections and grooves adapted to respectively engage the recesses in and edges on said plate and removable members upon frontal engagement therewith.

5. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein said vertical channel in said plate member is generally V-shaped.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vertical channel in said plate member is generally rectangularly shaped, and at its lower end extends into a narrower channel of V-shaped configuration.

7. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein said fixed tooth comprises a crown or cap, and said plate member is permanently implanted therein. 

1. A device for securing a removable denture or dental prosthesis to a fixed tooth comprising, in combination; a stationary plate member permanently fastened to a fixed tooth, said plate member containing a generally vertically extending channel having dovetail-shaped side walls and being of a narrowed width in at least the bottom end portion thereof, a horizontal recess extending across said plate member in the upper region thereof; a removable member for supporting the removable denture adapted to slide downwardly within the vertically extending channel in said plate member, said removable member having a configuration essentially corresponding to the dimensions of said channel, said removable member further having a horizontal recess in alignment and coextensive with the recess in said plate member upon positioning of said removable member in said channel; and locking means adapted to slide horizontally in said aligned recesses for positioning therein so as effectively arrange said plate member and said removable member into locked engagement; said plate member, removable member, and said locking means, upon assembly thereof, each having at least one surface portion forming a continuous coplanar surface extending along the exterior of the tooth.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recesses in said plate member and said removable member comprise a longitudinally tapered channel having dovetail-shaped side walls; said locking means comprising an elongate tapered wedge having a configuration complementary to the dimensions of said tapered channel.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate member includes horizontally extending recessed surface portions along the upper edge thereof; said locking means comprising an elongate bar having longitudinally extending projections and grooves adapted to respectively engage the recesses in and edges on said plate and removable members upon lateral engagement therewith.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate member includes a horizontally extending recessed frontal surface portion along the upper edge portion thereof, and laterally extending recesses along the side edges; said locking means comprising an elongate bar having laterally extending projections and grooves adapted to respectively engage the recesses in and edges on said plate and removable members upon frontal engagement therewith.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vertical channel in said plate member is generally V-shaped.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vertical channel in said plate member is generally rectangularly shaped, and at its lower end extends into a narrower channel of V-shaped configuration.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed tooth comprises a crown or cap, and said plate member is permanently implanted therein. 